Stunning Pictures of London’s West End by Bob Hyde c.1965

Pictures taken on a walk up Charing Cross Road from Piccadilly Circus to Cambridge Circus

London’s West-End by Bob Hyde

London west-end

Cambridge Circus c.1965

These photographs were taken by Bob Hyde who was always taking photos and never without a camera. He studied and then taught at St. Martin’s – perhaps where he was when these were taken. From the mid-sixties until his death he was a senior lecturer at Wimbledon School of Art and lecturer at the Royal College of Art where he helped establish the Environmental Media Degree with Sir Hugh Casson. In 1966 he devised and directed a ballet for ITV involving two dancers and projected images. 1969 he designed Play Orbit, an exhibition organised jointly by the ICA
and the Welsh Arts Council for the Royal National Eisteddfod of Wales.

This exhibition invited one hundred British artists to create a toy or game.

The photos lay undiscovered in a box for years.

London west-end 1965

Charing Cross Road at Falconberg Court that came off Sutton Row. Gave access to the Sundowner dance hall. The Astoria was to the left.

London west-end 1965

Blake Bros on the corner of Old Compton Street and Charing Cross Road.

Looking down Charing Cross Road from the roundabout on Cambridge Circus

London west-end 1965

Great Windmill Street

London west-end 1965

Ambassadors Theatre on West Street where the long-running Mousetrap was on.

London west-end 1965

Jellied Eel stall

London west-end 1965

London west-end 1965

Piccadilly Circus

Photos courtesy of Shima Banks

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